17 - Strike Two

Training Grounds

He was chasing something.

Something his fists seemed unable to reach, no matter how fast he moved them.

And he was so close…

Uren's breathing sounds loudly against his ears. But it is the silence, the heavy air of a full, yet silent room, which brings his mind out of the trance it seemed to have fallen into.

Just what…?

Uren notices his opponent's expression, as if frozen in a state of shocked panic, gradually returning to a more awkward, neutral look which is accompanied by a light blush.

His arm, on its way to reach them, still remains mid-punch, held by a stern-looking Master Utama.

Seijuro Aston clears her throat, attempting to smile, only to have the expression crumble before it is fully formed. "Thank you, Master Utama. It seems I underestimated my opponent and made a fool of myself. Had you not intervened…"

Seijuro glances at Uren's closed fist, blinking rapidly as if she's about to cry, before taking a deep breath, stepping back, and joining her fist to her palm as she lowers her head.

"This is my loss. Well fought, Uren."

"But… I thought we…"

Master Utama's eyes have a contemplative glow in them as he releases Uren's aching arm, a glow which is quickly replaced by a frown. "Miss Aston doesn't need to apologize. I was the one who allowed this to happen when you hadn't even warmed-up properly yet. As a Master, this is unforgivable."

"No!" Seijuro shout echoes across the silent dojo and she cringes, her gaze quickly sweeping over their flabbergasted audience before lowering itself. "I mean… Of course this wasn't Master Utama's fault, I was the one who suggested the sparring in the first place and…" Seijuro sighs, raising her head as she shakes it. "I'm really sorry for taking your time. I should probably go before I manage to embarrass myself further."

The princess curtsies, her gaze downcast. "Our school has one more style, Roaring Thunder, but I'm afraid… It would be better if you learned it from someone else. I'm sorry."

Uren is frozen, his thoughts hot whiteness. Before he can move or even say anything, Seijuro has already started to move away, walking by her friends at the dojo's entrance and then quickly beginning to descend toward the open area beyond it.

Only once her pitch-black hair and slim figure have completely disappeared from his vision is Uren able to concentrate on his surroundings again.

"It was only a spar and he still…"

"…I'm surprised Aston didn't start hitting back for real after that. I don't think I would have been able to hold for so long…"

"Do you think he has problems or…"

"…so, he really does like to bully girls, even though he fights really well. How disappointing…"

"What a fucking jerk..."

…Should he cry? Laugh?

How did he not realize what she was doing until it was over?

In retrospect, it is clear she was railing him up on purpose, inviting him for a spar, then making him look bad for taking it too seriously…

Uren has no doubt a video of their fight will soon reach the school's forum, if it hasn't already, damaging his reputation further.

"Mister Juric?"

Master Utama pats Uren's shoulder, holding onto it briefly as he attracts the boy's gaze and attention.

"Perhaps we should postpone the demonstration for now. Why don't you accompany Jasper and Dominic on their training for the day, cool things for a bit?"

"I'm sorry Master. I lost my head for a while there. Thank you for stopping me."

"No need to mention it. I'm sorry for not stepping in earlier."

Uren nods, Utama's hand slipping from his shoulder as Jasper, accompanied by a frowning Dominic, steps in to take his place.

"Shit man, I can't believe that just happened…"

The tall boy glances in the direction Seijuro Aston disappeared toward, his expression showcasing confusion.

"You okay?" Jasper asks.

"Yeah, I am… Shocked, I guess. She just did whatever she wanted and left…"

A yell from Master Utama finally puts an end to the dojo's idleness, though Uren still notices many glances thrown in his direction as his fellow students gradually shush their whispers in order to resume their training.

"Aston always does whatever she wants. You'll have to get used to it, like the rest of us," Jasper speaks bitterly. Then, as if in an afterthought, she raises her eyebrow at him, "I'd say I'm impressed by your fight, except I suspect she had you exactly where she wanted the whole time. Something you feel like sharing?"

Uren shakes his head. "Not here. Later? I'm sorry, I just can't think straight right now…"

"Fair enough Bro. C'mon, let's throw some punches. It'll make you feel better."

Jasper seems to hesitate, perhaps considering pressing Uren further, but ends up shaking her head after receiving a glance from her father.

"Fine, keep your secrets," she says, before pointing toward a distant, unoccupied corner of the dojo, "That's us, if you still want to stay."

"To be honest, I'm not sure I'm still welcome."

Uren smiles bitterly as he glances toward some of the people still throwing dirty stares in his direction.

"C'mon man, everybody fucks up during spars, they'll get over it! I mean, we'll talk to them later if that's what it takes! Don't worry, nobody is gonna mess with you if they see you're still in our princess's good graces, you feel me?"

Jasper sighs. "As much as I hate to admit it, Dominic's right. Listen, I know you might want to run away right now and hide your head in the sand, but trust me in that it gets worse if they see you acting as if you have something to be ashamed of. Still, if you want to leave, I won't stop you, and my father will understand."

Uren hesitates. In truth, he wants nothing more than to return home, enter his old room, and hide under the covers.

Except his home doesn't exist anymore, and it hasn't for nearly a decade now.

"You know what? Punching something doesn't sound so bad, right about now."

Dominic smiles. "I knew you'd come around."

…

It isn't hard for Seijuro to pretend to be upset. It is much harder, however, for her to pretend not to notice the gazes thrown her direction as they're raised from their owner's smartwatches, doubtlessly after having updated themselves over the latest drama to salivate over.

"Seijuro, wait up!"

She needs to punch something…

"Seijuro!"

As if suddenly remembering their existence, Seijuro pauses to allow Melinda and Aden to catch up to her, the first wearing a frown, the second a suspiciously blank expression.

"Is there a problem?"

"Is there a…?" Melinda repeats, tone incredulous, yet mercifully low, as she shakes her head. "What was that back there? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I believe I explained everything? I wanted to meet Uren. He's a foreign prince, after all."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about!" Melinda whispers fervently, "If Formless Water was only a bunch of useless techniques to avoid an opponent's attacks while not counterattacking at all, then how impractical would it be?! You were not even trying to fight back!"

Seijuro throws Aden a side glance. "Why don't you go on ahead…?"

As Aden simply smiles, Seijuro sighs.

"Thought so."

"Listen!" Melinda continues, "I don't care about what political games you are playing this time! I don't care about how you tricked that boy into fighting seriously during a spar or why you did it! I don't care that you walk around all day wearing this repulsive fake smile of yours! But… At least, I thought you trusted me enough for the truth."

Seeing her friend's hurt expression, Seijuro averts her gaze from hers, sighing again. "You want the truth, Melinda? This was a test. This was a test, and you failed spectacularly. You think I do these things because I wish to? You call my smile repulsive, but are you ready to face what may lay behind it?"

As she continues, Seijuro finds Melinda's eyes once more, forcing herself to face them. "I trusted you to not ask questions. I trusted you to play along until we were in private, or, at least, to start a connection. Instead, you question me in public and risk jeopardize my political games by causing a scene…?"

Melinda blinks rapidly, her face palling.

"I warned you this would happen. Despite what you might think, I don't play games… And more importantly, I have no use for a righthand who doesn't understand her place. In the real world, do you think I'll have the time to explain everything?"

Melinda quickly wipes at her tears, laughing bitterly. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? To make me realize what it might be like to be the queen's right hand. You know, Seijuro, I might not be as good at scheming as you are, or as quick of thought, but I can recognize well enough when my friend is hurting! Do you think I'm stupid?! That I don't know that you're trying to push me away on purpose?!"

Without waiting for a reply, Melinda shakes her head and walks by Seijuro, heading toward their dojo.

"Find me when you've decided you want a friend again!"

Seijuro glances over her shoulder to watch Melinda go, though she doesn't call the upset girl back.

Well, that went about as bad as she expected it to. She'll have to think of a proper apology later, and a way to teach Melinda to be more scheming, as she put it, if they are to follow through with their strange relationship. And, of course, a way to put a nail in the coffin of their stupid rivalry once and for all.

"Wow, that was harsh… Beautiful, but harsh." Aden whistles, clapping slowly. "Wish I had some popcorn though."

Seijuro gives the smiling boy a thoughtful once-over, reminded of her encounter with his mother the night prior. Truly, a striking resemblance.

"What? Nothing to say? I admit, for as much as I've tried, I could never get under your skin. Impressive."

"If a dog was barking at you, would you lose your composure?"

Aden's smile widens, showcasing an impressive set of white teeth. "I like dogs. They're loyal, and brave. Foxes, on the other hand… They piss me off."

Seijuro snorts, turning and beginning to walk away.

"The way you tricked the boy was some of the most impressive use of Formless Water I've ever seen."

Seijuro pauses, giving him a sidelong glance over her shoulder.

"You couldn't bring yourself to fight badly, could you? Tell me Aston, have you ever lost a fight you didn't intend to? Or were they all staged to go exactly as you wanted them to?"

"Do your pick-up lines usually work so easily?"

"I'd call you many things, Aston, but easy isn't one of them. Though, if you want to leave so badly, I won't stop you. I suppose I'll have to entertain myself but browsing the school's forum instead, y'know, giving my opinion here and there…"

Aden shrugs, glancing at his nails as if he has suddenly grown bored of the conversation.

"Talk around town is you don't even deserve your rank anyway. All of your fights look so fake, it's a wonder people stood quiet for so long. And after your stunt today… Tsk, tsk."

"What?"

Aden raises his eyebrow. "Oh, you didn't know?"

Realizing she's allowing herself to fall for his bait, Seijuro shakes her head. "Forget it, I've entertained this farce for far too long. Feel free to share your opinion as you see fit. Elysium is a free country, after all."

Aden laughs as he watches her leave.

Her ranking, fake…?

***

Gaming Center, First Floor's Restrooms

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Sara takes a deep breath.

She can do this.

She knows these people. They know her. There's no reason to be nervous.

Maybe they won't give her a second chance. So what? She doesn't deserve one anyway-

"What are you doing?"

Sara nearly jumps as the stall directly at her back opens, showcasing a sleepy-looking girl as she shakes her head and walks up to the mirror to wash her hands.

"What's that to you?"

Their eyes meet, and the girl raises her eyebrow. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"Err…"

"Forget it. By the way, Avril was already waiting outside when I got in. Thought I should warn you."

Sara feels herself palling.

"…You could've warned me on the way in, you know?"

But the girl is already heading out, waving over her shoulder as she exits.

"Fucking great. How long has she been waiting for, anyway?"

"Nearly ten minutes," a voice calls from outside, neither loud nor low. "And I'd advise to not keep her waiting for much longer, lest she decides she's tired of waiting."

Sara laughs, though it sounds awkward to her own ears, as she slowly walks toward the restroom door and peeks outside, immediately meeting gazes with the girl leaning against the corridor's wall, hands deep into her oversized black hoody's pocket and dark bangs looking as perfect as they've ever been.

"…Hey there, captain."

Sara smiles. Avril doesn't.

"Okay, awkward…"

Sara clears her throat as she fully exits the restroom, standing by Avril and offering her hand.

"Long time no see, I guess? You wanted to… Talk?"

Avril glances at Sara's extended hand, making no moves to grab it.

"I wanted to play FG. Kay wanted me to come and grab her lost puppy."

Sara slowly clenches her fingers as she retracts her hand and presses her lips together. "Right."

"She thought you might bail on us. Again."

"I… see."

"Good."

Avril pushes herself off the wall without another word, hands still hidden, as she begins to walk toward the noises of clicks and laughter.

"Avril," Sara calls, causing the girl to stop and glance over her shoulder, "I'm sorry, you know… For bailing out on the team last semester. I know I let you guys hanging, but I… I needed to figure some stuff out."

"And? Did you?"

Sara bites her lips. "Kinda? I r-realized I care about the team and the game, and that I regretted leaving you guys…"

Avril closes her eyes as she laughs softly. "Oh, thank the Gods. I'm so glad you regretted it, Sara. Because that makes it okay, right?"

"N-no, I know it doesn't-"

"Shut up." Avril opens her eyes as she narrows them, smile gone as if it never existed. "Have you ever heard of something called trust? You're sorry? I don't care for your apology, Sara. I don't care that you came back crawling, because I already knew you would."

Sara swallows. "Suppose I deserved that. Still, I'm sorry."

"Kneel."

"…Sorry?"

Avril smiles. "You want my forgiveness? Get on your fucking knees and ask for it."

Sara opens her mouth, but no sound comes out of it.

Avril scoffs. "Thought as much. You know what? Forget it, I was tired of looking for a replacement anyway. They all suck."

Sara blinks as she gradually makes sense of the girl's words.

"…You are the worse person I've ever met, sick bangs or not."

"Thank you. And Sara?" Avril stares straight into Sara's eyes, something cold flashing through her gaze. "You leave us hanging without an explanation again; you're dead to me."

Avril doesn't wait for a reply.

"…Yes, Ma'am," Sara murmurs in mute shock as she follows after the sullen girl into the lively atmosphere of the Gaming Center, walking through rows of entertained students who barely throw a glance their way.

Without hesitation, Avril heads to a staircase leading up, and Sara contains herself from taking a deep breath before following.

This is her home. What is she so afraid of?

The stairs lead to a quieter, and much emptier, version of the first floor. Except here, the rows of computers are separated into half-glassed rooms which are big enough for two dozen students or so each.

A reception resembling the one below is near the entry, toward which Sara follows Avril, though the middle-aged man sitting behind it has his eyes fixed on his computer's holographic screen, barely glancing at them as they approach.

"Guest permissions," Avril demands, pointing her thumb toward Sara. "For today."

Sara cringes. Okay, maybe not her home anymore, exactly. At least not yet.

The man dignifies them with a brief glance. "FG?"

"Y-yes."

"Sara Palmer?"

"The one and only."

The man nods. "You got them. Don't break the rules, I know you're familiar with them."

"Thank you."

Sara glances around only to realize Avril is already on her way toward their team's booth, petite legs carrying her much faster than their size would suggest possible, and Sara curses softly as she runs after the smaller girl.

"Hey! What did I just-"

"Sorry!"

Sara contains her urge to show the man her tongue as she follows after Avril through the corridor of glassed booths.

Now that she is so close, she can't ignore the ball of nervousness inside her stomach which has been growing since she decided to apply for the team again.

With each step taken forward, her heart seems to beat louder, and her hands to become sweatier.

This is it. If they don't accept her back…

Sara glances down as she bumps into something soft, meeting Avril's narrowed gaze.

"Are the balls on your face a mere decoration?"

"…I profusely apologize."

"Apologies mean nothing to me. And a word of warning: next time I have to head down for you, I'll bring a leash, and somebody strong enough to put it to use."

"That sounds… almost certainly against school rules."

"Those also mean nothing to me."

Avril waves her hand, opening the door as she walks inside and flips a black painted nail toward one of the room's occupants before heading for her computer.

Kay merely smiles. "Thank you, Avril, I love you as well darling."

Sara swallows. No more stalling, no more time for hesitation.

As she walks in and closes the door, from the eight individuals inside, Avril included, a total of four turn their gazes in Sara's direction, while the rest seem too concentrated on their games to bother.

A fourteen or so pale-looking boy, Sara notices, immediately has his character die by giving a glance over his shoulder in her direction.

Grace, as expected, sends cold daggers her way, though only for a brief moment before focusing on the game again.

And Kay, sitting in a separate corner of the room, smiles and beckons her closer.

"Welcome back you little shit," Sara's couch says with a roll of eyes as she approaches. "Didn't I tell you to get here in time?"

"…Good morning to you too, Kay. And believe it or not, I did get here in time, I was just… constipated."

Kay scoffs. "I'm sure you were."

Kay stares in between two holographic screens seemingly showcasing For Glory videos of different characters' perspectives of the same fight. Occasionally, she stops and takes notes on a smaller, separate screen.

"How are you doing? Nervous?"

Sara glances toward the concentrated expressions of her ex-teammates.

"Something like that. Is this the part where you explain everything I'll miss if they reject me?"

Kay pauses, giving her an uncharacteristically serious glance.

"As you know, I'm obligated to tell you these things, even if you're already aware of them. First, being up here presents you with an opportunity to compete officially as a representative of our school. You'll win merits by performing well, gain attention from scouters, and even have tournament travel expenses covered on occasion. However, since you already left once, the decision to allow you back isn't mine alone."

Kay shrugs as she leans back and regains her usual easygoing expression.

"Figures what they were thinking with that one."

Sara sighs. "I suppose it makes some sort of sense to have the team members contribute to decisions about the team's composition."

"…Felt a lot better when you were already a part of the team, didn't it?"

"Shut up."

Kay smiles. "Get to a computer, they're waiting for you."